The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-03-22

Curious Figure 1t Has Cut in the
Worlds Annals.
An Important Factor in Old Byzantine
Days.
From Rome to britain

fruit has acquired such IN unenvlable
reputation as mischcf-maker. As
children, we first read of it in the
bible as being in some way the cause of
the expulsion of our first parents from
the Garden of Eden, and thereby hay
ing something to do with the bringing
of sin and consequent death upon all
mankind, n fearful charge to lay to so
delicious and useful fruit
In the Grecian mythology. SAYS The
Philadelphia Bulietsn the apple figures
very often. We read Of the "applc of
discord," the golden apples" which
caused the ilect-foolcd Atlanta to lose
race, by which, however, she won a
husband; the apple upon which Aconi-
tus wrote love letter to himself and
then swore it was written by Cydippe,
which caused the poor girl vast
amount of trouble, and of the apple
given to Venus by Paris as II prize for
her superior beauty. The judgment OF
Paris made all apples sacred to Venus,
and apples were dedicated to Hercules
when he had conquered the golden
fruit of the Hesperidcs. In the Pythian
games apples consecrated TO Apollo
were the reward of the vctors.
The Scandinavian mythology holds
fable which seems to have been de-
rived from the tradition of Eve and the
serpent and the tree of life. According
TO that the goddess of Iduna kept a
box of apples, of which the gods ate
when growing old to renew their youth.
Lox. the Scandinavian spirit of evil,
carried off lduna and her lfe-gving
apples and hid them away in dark,
dense, forest, keeping them close pris-
oncrs. When the gods were really be-
coming decrcpit Thor, the Thunderer,
made war upon Lox, and conquering
him, released Iduna and her fruit,
which. being fed to the almost worn
out old gods, quickly rejuvenated them.
Taking long step forward into civ
i'zation and Christianity, we come TO
historical fact about the apple, which
shows what trouble a single one gave
to the royal family OF Byzantum.
About the opening of the fifth century
Theodosius was emperor of the east
HIS wife was the beautiful and accom-
plished EudoXia, for whom he had en-
tertained most unbounded affection
for years, and whom he would have
continued to love and cherish It'll
death did them part"--pcrhaps--had it
not been for an apple.
One day, when all was serene and
happy in the royal household, there
came the court of Byzantium, Constan-
tinople. n philosopher of great learning
and renown named Paulinus, who
soon rose high in favor with the En-
press Eudoxia. On certain occasion
Theodosus made special gift of
very fine apple to her. which she, with
out dreaming of possible consequences,
in an unguarded moment gave to Pau
linus, and which he. ignorant of the
circumstances, next gave to the emperor
as a respectful offering. Recognizing
the fruit as his gift to his wife. he at
once flew into a range of passion. and
became in Il moment very Othello in
jealousy. Calling guard. he dismissed !
Paulinus in custody, and ordering the
empress in his presence he demanded
of her what she had done with the APP
pie he had lately given her?' The !
poor woman seeing the range her hus-
band was in, unhappily lied about it.
and said she had eaten it. whereupon |
the emperor produced the fruit. con-
victng her on the spot of falsehood,
while he at the same time charged her
with n6delity. On that very day was
Paulinus cruelty put to death and
Eudoxia banished forever from Con-
stantinople. She retired to some OBJ
scure part OF Palestine, where she died
eleven years afterward. Thus did an
apple prove fatal to the peace of the
powerful as well as to the lives of the
beautiful and wise.
1t is somewhat curious to read that
just four hundred years aftcrward an
other apple gave disappointment, sor-
row, and trouble to another royal fami-
ly of Byzantium. which will remind the
reader of the Three Golden Apples"
in thee everplcasing Arabian Nights"
AT the commencement of the ninth
century one Theophllus ruled as em-